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. 2026 Jan;(546):10.15620/cdc/174635. doi: 10.15620/cdc/174635

Diagnosed Allergic Conditions in Children Ages 0-17: United States, 2024.

Amanda E Ng, Abhigya Giri, Lauren Bottoms-McClain
PMCID: PMC12914752  PMID: 41678836

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed to provide estimates of diagnosed seasonal allergy, eczema, and food allergy by age, sex, and urbanization level.

METHODS

Point estimates and the corresponding confidence intervals for this analysis were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN software to account for the complex sample design of NHIS. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. Linear and quadratic trends by age were evaluated using orthogonal polynomials.

KEY FINDINGS

In 2024, diagnosed seasonal allergies (20.6%) were the most common allergies in children, followed by diagnosed eczema (12.7%), and then diagnosed food allergies (5.3%). Children living in nonmetropolitan areas (25.6%) were more likely to have a diagnosed seasonal allergy compared with children living in metropolitan areas (19.8%). The percentage of children with diagnosed eczema was similar in boys (12.2%) and girls (13.3%). The percentage of children with a diagnosed food allergy increased with age, from 3.9% in children ages 0-5 years to 6.9% in children ages 12-17 years.

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